The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-05-25
TEMPERANCE.
The Bell is Ringing.

- The Bell is Ringing.
With lungs Of fire and ribs Of steel,
Low-whispering valve and humm1ng wheelt
The iron horse the train Is bringing.
Hear the loud scream and thunder stroke,
See showers Of flame and clouds Of smoke;
Look out, the warning bell b ringing.
Ye idle, gazing throngs, stand back,
There's danger on the smoking track,
And where the busy switch is swinging.
"Now all aboard, now of again;
No drones can reach the moving train.
Look out, thedanger bell Is ringing.
Take heed, the engine of reform
Halts not in sunshine nor in storm,
'Tis freedoms song the mass are singing.
Behind behold the tottering thrones
And dazed multitude OF drones;
The bell Of progress now is ringing.
The slave has dof'ed his yoke and chain,
The drinker will not drink again, o..
Glad news the harnessed ightning's bring
Oppression casts it's scourge away, 49,
We see the dawn Of bright day,
The golden bells Of heaven are ringing
Geo. ". Bungay in Temperance Advocate.
The Pope on Total Abstinence.
The following is translation Of the impor-
tant Papal brief in favor of the total alb
stinence movement addressed to the Rt. Rev.
DR.. Ireland, Bishop of st. Paul, Mimi:
To our venerable brother, John Ireland,
Bishop Of st. Paul, Minn., Leo XIII,
VENERABLE BRoTHER-Health and apos-
tolic benediction. The admirable works Of
piety and charity by which our faithful chill
dren in the United States labor to promote
not only their own temporal and eternal well
fare but also that Of their fellow citizens, and
which you have recently related to us, give to
us exceeding great consolation. And above
all we have rejoiced to learn with what energy
and zeal, by means Of various excellent as
sociations, and especially through the Cath
olic Total Abstinence Union, you combat tho
destructive vice of intemperance. For it is
well known to Us how ruinous, how deplor-
able is the injury both to faith and to morals
that Is to be feared from intemperance In
drink. Nor can we sufficiently praise the
prelates Of the United States who recently In
the Plenary Council Of Baltimore with
weightiest words condemned this abuse, de-
claring it to be perpetual incentive to sin
and q fruitful root to all evils, plunging the
families Of the Incorporate into the direst
ruin, and drawing numberless souls down to
everlasting perdition; declaring moreover
that the faithful who yielded to this vice Of
intemperance became thereby scandal to
non-Catholics, and great hindrancs to tho
propagation Of the true religion. ~. .:-
Hence we esteem worthy OF all commen-
dation the noble resolve Of your pious associ-
tions, by which they pledge themselves to abb
stain totally from every kind Of intoxicating
drink. Nor can it at all be doubted that this
determination is the proper and tho truly
efficacious remedy for this very great evil;
and that so much the more strongly will all
be induced to put this bride upon appetite by
how much the greater are the dignity and in
huence OF those who give the example. But
greatest Of all in this matter should be tho
zeal of priests, who, as they are called to In
struct the people in the work Of life, and to
mold them to Christian morality, should also,
and above all, walk before them in the prao.
tice Of virtue. Let pastors, therefore, do
their best to drive the plague Of intemperance
from the fold Of Christ by assiduous preach
ing and exhortation, and to shine before all
as models of abstinence, that so the many
calamities with which this vice threatens
both church and State may by their strenuous
endeavors be averted.
And we most earnestly beseech Almighty
God that, IN this important matter, He may
graciously favor your desires, direct your
counsels, and assist your endeavors; and as
pledge Of the divine protection, and as
testimony Of our paternal affection, we most
lovingly bestow upon you, venerable brother,
and upon all your associates In this holy
league, the apostolic benediction.
Given at Rome, from st. Peters, this 9th
day Of March, in the year 1887, in the tenth
year Of our Pontifcate.
LEO XIII. Pope.